Dragon Scales and Cat Tales
by the Unrequited Lover
Summary: Hermione's life is spinning entirely out of control when she and Draco Malfoy fall for eachother -hard. Ginny knows about it, and Hermione's okay with that...but when Ginny tells, she's totally lost, and turns to Draco for comfort.
1. Suspicion

Hermione's life is spinning entirely out of control when she and Draco Malfoy fall for eachother -hard. Ginny knows about it, and Hermione's okay with that...but when Ginny tells, she's totally lost, and turns to Draco for comfort.

"What's the chance of accidentally having the Cruciatus Curse used on you, I ask you?" Ron exclaimed, flipping through the pages of the library book in disbelief. "If you get tortured, isn't it obviously on purpose?"

""Dunno," said Harry, shrugging. They had been assigned a particularly nasty essay for Defense against the dark Arts, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been working on it in the library. "After what we've heard, it doesn't sound possible to do it by accident."

"What if you were under the Imperius curse?" asked Ron.

Harry thought about that for a moment. "I don't know," he said slowly, scratching his chin with his quill tip. "Can the Imperius curse be used to make you want to hurt somebody?"

"Ugh, this is getting complex," grunted Ron in disgust, "I never thought I'd have to think about it so much." He looked up. "Oh, Hermione's coming."

The pair exchanged a highly significant look.

"Hermione, this is really hard!" Ron complained loudly. Loud enough to be on purpose.

"Yeah, it is," added Harry. They glanced over at the girl, who was looking through the newly returned books anxiously.

"Er, Hermione?" began Harry.

"That's it!" Ron said, throwing down the book and leaning back in the chair. "I give up! I'm not doing this assignment!"

They both looked at Hermione eagerly. "Good idea, Ron," said Harry loudly, and deliberately, so that Hermione could overhear them. "I don't think I'll do mine, either."

Hermione obviously found the book that she was looking for, and she carried it over to the table and flipped through it.

"Er....Hermione?" asked Ron with a puzzled look on his face. The book was entitled "Hexes for the Lovelorn", which Draco Malfoy had been angrily telling his rather ruffled ex-girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, in Potions earlier that day.

"Yeah?" she asked absent-mindedly, reminding the boys of Luna Lovegood.

"Didn't you hear us?" asked Harry incredulously. "We're skipping our Defense Against the dark Arts homework."

"That sounds lovely," Hermione said dreamily, as though they had asked her out for tea.

She furiously turned the pages of the book and found a piece of paper, taking it out, glancing at it, looking around in caution and then placing it her pocket. She patted the pocket lovingly.

"I have to go," she informed them. Then she picked up her things- she hadn't brought many of them, not even any books for classes, just books to return and some perfume, of all things- and dashed out, humming. Harry distinctly noticed her spritz some of the perfume onto her neck before she vanished from sight.

Ron and Harry stared. "Well, we tested hr to see if she was feeling well," said Ron with a sigh, "and she failed dismally."

"I wonder what's wrong," commented Harry thoughtfully. "She's been acting like that for over two months." Ron sniggered uncontrollably.

"Well, the not caring about schoolwork is new," Harry admitted. "At least where we're concerned. She works as hard as ever in class."

"I don't have any clue, though," sad Ron. "Should we ask Ginny? She usually knows." Ron coughed, although it sounded more like poorly disguised laughter. "I mean," he said hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face, "if she's pining for you, then Ginny'd probably understand!"

But Ginny didn't seem to be in the library.

"Well- what about Parvati and Lavender?" suggested Harry, gesturing to the whispering pair a few tables away, apparently not as interested in homework as they were in Witch Weekly. Ron nodded. They grabbed their things and ran over.

""Hey, Parvati!" Harry called. "Lavender!" They looked up, startled. "We want to ask you something!"

They stopped in front of their table and lowered their voices to confidential whispers.

"Do you know what's been the matter with Hermione?" asked Harry quietly. Parvati and lavender giggled. Ron rolled his eyes, standing as far as possible from the table as possible while still being able to hear them, which wasn't very far. Girls are more practiced gossipers than boys.

"Ooh, isn't it obvious?" squealed Parvati gleefully.

"Hermione's in love!" whispered Lavender, struggling to keep her voice down. They broke into suppressed laughter. Madam Pince looked up sharply.

They fought to contain themselves.

"Who is it?" asked Ron urgently.

""I wish I knew," pouted Lavender.

"Ginny knows," added Parvati, "but she won't tell us." The girls looked a bit miffed by that small fact.

"Ron frowned. "Oh," he said flatly, completely drained of all excitement. "Right. Guess we should go, then." He turned around and began quickly walking towards the exit, Harry at his heels. "Well, mate," he said to Harry as they left the library, "I guess we'll have to find Ginny." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling as though waiting for divine intervention to, well, intervene. "I wish I knew who it was," he groaned.

Harry nodded sympathetically, then grinned. "I just hope it's not Nev-"

"Harry! Ron!" called a voice from behind them. They spun around. Neville Longbottom was running towards them, panting. He stopped to catch his breath, then said, "Both of you are wanted in the Headmaster's office. McGonagall told me to tell you."

Ron looked nervous, and sort of pale. "McGonagall?"

Neville nodded furiously, then added slowly, "And Snape."

Ron and Harry both blanched. "That can't be good," Harry croaked, feeling like a tremendous weight had dropped into his stomach. Ron nodded weakly.

Neville looked sorry for them. "Sorry. I've got to finish my homework, but tell me if I can help!" He said, then turned and ran to their common room, waving.

"He'd better be careful, or he'll trip," muttered Ron.

Ron and Harry stood still for a moment. Then, Ron said, "I really hope this isn't bad."

"We've been doing well in class," Harry mentioned angrily, but at the words his expression changed to something a bit more pensive.

"Maybe it's an Order thing!"

Ron brightened considerably. "Maybe they've finally decided to tell us someth-"

They crashed into two people while headed around the corner to the staircase.


	2. Accusation

Disclaimer: If you don't know who Harry Potter belongs to, then you are obviously more stupid than Crabbe or Goyle. Here's a hint: it's not me. **sob!**

A/n: wow, reviews! I was shocked and quite pleased. Here they are (so far):

Zuvalupa: I really like your "Draco's first encounter". I'd like to read the rest of it sometime soon...and if you're not zuvalupa, then go read said story and write very nice reviews!

Wingless87: I really like that pen name, it's very pretty. Author of a story that reminds me of an idea I had, therefore it must be brilliant! ha, there's me, being cocky so go read her Masquerade story!

Lone Wolf55: thanks, I'm sooo glad that you liked it. Actually, I've been having problems uploading, but thanks!! Hope you come up with some Harry Potter stories soon (I've never seen Yu-Gi-Oh!- I don't have cable.)

"Ouch! Hey, watch where you're going!" said Draco Malfoy, reaching for his wand.

"You watch it, Mal- _Hermione!_" gasped Harry. Next to Draco on the floor where she'd fallen was Hermione Granger, looking slightly scared.

"Where're you two headed?" asked Ron suspiciously.

"Headmaster's," said Hermione briskly.

"Us, too," Harry said, standing. He reached for Ron and pulled him up.

Draco pulled Hermione to her feet graciously.

"You're going?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"All four of us are," said Draco. He and Hermione shared a dark look as the four headed down the staircase.

"What do you two know?" implored Ron tensely.

"That we're sent for by McGonagall!" Hermione shouted.

"And Snape," added Draco softly.

"And Snape," Hermione amended, clearly depressed by this sudden turn of events.

They walked up in front of the door to Dumbledore's office. No one knew the password.

"Er-"started Harry, but the door had already begun to open. With a sense of dread, the four students entered the passage and watched the door close, feeling as though they were doomed.

Upon entering the office, they froze. Apparently they weren't the only ones invited. Molly and Arthur Weasley, as well as Fred, George and Ginny, were seated; as was Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mum, and Pansy Parkinson, Draco's ex-girlfriend. She was looking particularly smug, while everyone else was confused. Ginny, however, looked grim.

McGonagall and Snape sat beside the Headmaster's desk, and McGonagall, equally bewildered, drew up four chairs with her wand.

Draco sat beside his mother, Hermione beside him, Harry beside her and Ron at the end.

"Ms. Parkinson and Ms. Weasley approached me this afternoon to request this, ah, hearing," said Snape silkily.

"An unlikely pair," commented McGonagall gravely. Snape nodded and said, "Upon hearing the news we decided to go straight to the Headmaster."

"Well, Pansy?" asked Dumbledore, an amused smile on his face. "Tell us your news."

Pansy stood before everyone as though a lawyer, a triumphant smirk on her pug-like face. Harry noticed she held a folder of papers in her arms. Ginny had a similar folder.

She addressed the assembled party. "Ladies and gentlemen," she began carefully, "the news you're about to hear may disturb or distress you. As a matter of fact, if it doesn't, I'll be shocked." She paused to admire the effect her words had, then plowed on: "I have evidence to support this, as does my accomplice, Ginny." She tapped the folder. Everyone looked at Ginny, who looked away.

"Oh, no," Hermione breathed. Draco looked like he was going to be sick.

"Now, here's a summary," Pansy declared, a malicious glint in her eyes: "For he past ten weeks, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have carried on a relationship in secret."

The reaction to this statement was as varied as they come; Fred shouted, "What?!"; George swore loudly, Arthur began mumbling, "What? Hermione wouldn't- she'd never-"incoherently. Molly declared, "I always knew that girl was trouble!", Ron started to hiccough with surprise, and Narcissa began shrieking about "a disgrace to the name of Malfoy!" Harry felt all numb and weird, and looked at Ginny. Her head was bowed in shame.

But what Harry found most interesting was the way the accused were acting: Draco Malfoy's mouth had dropped open, and he stared straight at Pansy in horror. He looked frozen, as if he couldn't move if he tried. Hermione, on the other hand, couldn't hold still she kept squirming around, and she pressed her lips shut and looked away from everybody. She turned towards Draco, her knees pointing at his. She didn't dare speak to him or even anyone, not even to protest her innocence.

Finally, all that remained was a stunned silence ringing throughout the room. Harry said, cautiously, "Is this true?"

No one answered.

_And I'm making you wait for the next chapter! Haha! Actually, I know exactly what it is, but I'm just too lazy to type it out._


	3. Affirmation

To all my loyal followers, with love from Sincerity Inkwell...

_Heya, gyrlfriend: thanks for your review! I'm sure you can guess...and to Zuvalupa: you are the most loyal one of all...you reviewed TWICE! Now I really like you!_

_Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, and therefore do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd be working on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which she says has something to do with Chamber...in some way...if it's got another Tom riddle memory I'll die! Of happiness, that is. Though I mustn't get my hopes up.. okay, random rambling! Moving on..._

"How do you know?" protested Ron weakly.

Pansy smirked. "Well, as you know, Draco and I, well..._broke up_ in September. Said it was N.E.W.T. year and he needed to focus..." she sniffed. It had been a bad breakup. Pansy had accused him of cheating, and Draco had told her he just needed "space" and that they could still be friends. As if. Pansy just didn't think it was over; she stuck to him like someone'd placed a Permanent Sticking Charm on her.

According to legend, she had been cooing over him in the Slytherin common room when he exploded and famously declared, "I've had it! We're not a couple anymore, Parkinson! I'd rather date _Hermione Granger_ than you!" in front of half the Slytherins.

"But I was still, er, suspicious," Pansy continued. "He kept talking to other girls. Just not me. So I started watching him."

"Stalker," Draco muttered darkly.

Pansy shot him an 'I'll deal with you later' look and went on. "And then, one day in Potions towards September's end- surely you remember this, professor- I overheard Draco asking Hermione Granger about Arithmancy. And he later transferred to _her_ class."

Pansy did not seem to have taken it well, Harry noticed. So what if Draco joined Arithmancy? No one else seemed to care half as much.

"It sounded pretty suspicious, so I started asking around. Some kids said that they were partners in the class, and so I went and asked Professor Vector. She said that they hated one another, but had actually grown quite close after a few weeks, by the end of October. And I saw it, too. They smiled at one another every once in a while and I caught him staring at her in Potions."

"Wait just one minute," argued Fred, looking at Hermione helplessly. "If you were so suspicious you'd think any girl was trying to sneak off with Draco!"

Pansy glared. "I did. But later I noticed Ginny Weasely watched them as much as I did. So I asked her and she said...well, let her tell you." Pansy said and nodded at Ginny. As Ginny slowly stood, Hermione looked up and stared at her in anguish as though she'd been slapped.

"Well, Hermione's always loved Arithmancy," said Ginny softly. "So when he became a part of it, she talked about how he affected the class. At first, it was things like, 'Oh, I hate Malfoy!' and 'Malfoy needs to crawl off into Slytherin house and die!', but it became 'Malfoy said something very thoughtful today', and 'Malfoy and I agreed on something!'" Ginny paused, and glanced at Harry and Ron.

"You noticed it, right?" she asked.

Harry nodded slowly. Ron gaped like a fish, at a loss for words.

"Eventually she referred to him as 'Draco', and then I started to worry about her. I noticed she stayed on the field a little longer after Slytherin Quidditch games, so I tailed her. She'd congratulate him and then they'd talk, and one day, they..." Ginny took a deep breath. "They kissed."

Draco shut his eyes as though he hoped to vanish, and Hermione's eyes widened as she gazed helplessly at Ginny. She didn't seem to realize she was slowly shaking her head.

Harry was furious, but Ron looked even worse. His ears were red and his face pale. They weren't hearing this, Harry thought. Hermione'd never do it.

But he looked at Ginny and knew...

"So, I stayed after every Slytherin game, and as time went by it became every Quidditch game at all. Soon I noticed how she's share this little secret look with him every time he caught the snitch, and of course I felt betrayed."

Ginny glanced around. Most people didn't believe it. She sighed and went on. "I decided to tell her my concerns at Hogsmeade. But I couldn't find her. Later on, Colin Creevey showed me a picture of the two of them."

Ginny extracted a photo from her files and handed it to Mrs. Weasely, who glanced at it and then gave a little snort of disgust, then passed it to Arthur, who paled and gave it to the twins, who shot Hermione ugly looks and handed it over to Narcissa who clenched her hands tightly and shoved it at her son. Draco took one glance, nudged Hermione, who looked at it quickly then looked away, passing it to Harry and Ron.

Ron said, "I don't believe it!" and Harry just stared. It was a picture of the two on a secluded bench area behind the Shrieking Shack. Hermione simply looked infatuated, leaning against Draco's chest and gazing up at him, while he looked down at her, smiling; is arm around her shoulder. As with wizard pictures, they moved: Hermione looked at Harry, startled, then Draco put his arms around her and they turned their faces away. When Harry looked at her, he saw her look away again.

Ginny cleared her throat. "I contacted Pansy and decided that they weren't 'just meeting'. We had taken pictures- I have more in my file- but we needed to know where else they met. Because she's in their Potions class, Pansy figured it out. Pansy?"

"Pansy snickered and stood, while Ginny sat down.

"Every day in Potions, one of them would mention the name of a book. Then the other would check said book out. I thought it was interesting. Of course," she added, "I started checking the books out earlier and using the copying charm on the notes hidden inside. Those notes, by the way, are in my folder." She declared, raising it in the air.

"Allow me to introduce my favorite," announced Pansy. "Ahem. November 19: 'Draco,'" she began, in a fake love-sick voice, "'I miss you so much! I've been thinking a lot about what you said on our last Hogsmeade trip and you're right- it would be devastating if anyone found out about us. Your reputation would shatter, I'd be publicly shamed, and our friends would desert us. Oh, how about next Saturday, 11:00, ROR?'" Pansy sniffed. "She's referring to the Room of Requirement, which was where they have been meeting. In fact, I believe they had a meeting just before they came here."

"That's why you left the library!" shouted Ron.

"Relax, Weasely," panted Pansy. "Later. Let me finish."

Ron looked at Hermione murderously and she quailed.

"Then, they had a couple more letters, and then...oh, I like this one: 'Draco', she says, 'I know it's not the first time I've said it, but now I mean it. We shouldn't see eachother. End of story. I'm sorry, Draco, because I do love you, but it has to be like this. Goodbye." Pansy brushed away a fake tear. "Of course, they got together again, something like 'Oh Draco, I can't stop thinking about you!' and 'Hermione, we can't keep doing this. It's killing me, blah, blah, blah.' And by the way, Ginny kept taking pictures. Unfortunately, well....back to you, Ginny."

Pansy sat and Ginny stood. "Hermione found a picture of her and Draco, well, you know. You could tell about where it was because they were snogging next to his broomstick, with Draco still in his Quidditch robes." Ginny looked away from Hermione. "I told her I wouldn't tell."

"Well, I'm glad you did!" exclaimed Fred.

"I'm not," muttered Ron.

"Please, continue," implored Mr. Weasely, and Ginny said, "Well, they've just been sneaking around the school, all over it, meeting, since the end of September, and now it's nearly Christmas! I was just worried she was making a mistake, and Pansy thinks the same of Draco." For the first time, Ginny looked straight at Hermione and said, "It's better this way."

Harry glanced Hermione's way, and she peeked out at him. He had been thinking he would never forgive her, but now he wasn't so sure.

"Okay," said Pansy gleefully, "don't hold back on your feelings! I know you hate it as much as I do!"

For a while, no one spoke. Then, "Have your father and I taught you nothing? You're just going to sneak out dating some Muggle girl just because you want a break from Pansy, who's from a good, respectable pureblood family!" shrieked Narcissa. "Do you have any idea what your father would say?!"

Draco put his head in his hands.

"You should be ashamed, Draco. How dare you. How dare you touch that filthy little girl." Narcissa stood, glared at her son, and then left.

"Well, I think both of you have bee very daring," interrupted Molly. She stood and motioned up her husband. Harry knew how they felt; the Malfoys hated the Weaselys, and vice versa. They left, followed by Fred and George, who of course had to add their own opinions.

"I don't believe you, Hermione. What did he try to get you to do?" asked George rudely. "Hex Harry's Firebolt? Send Ron to the Hospital Wing? You're smarter than this!" He stomped off, and Fred said, "I don't know what you were thinking when you first started kissing that git, but if you think now that you're better than us, you don't deserve even a Malfoy!" and he left as well.

Snape raised an eyebrow at Ron, who was clutching the arms of his chair as though he wanted to break them, He stood and said stiffly, "I don't know what you're playing at!" and then left. Snape and McGonagall also left.

"Well, you don't need me!" chimed Pansy. "See you tomorrow, Draco!" and she skipped off.

There was an awkward silence. "Er- can we leave, Professor?" asked Harry. Dumbledore nodded. His expression was hard to read, but Harry didn't think he looked angry, or even disappointed- but rather, thoughtful.

The remaining four stepped out into the empty hallway and watched the door close, then

"I just can't believe you'd do that."

Hermione had turned to Ginny. She'd even begun shaking. "Why did it matter so much? It was beautiful, Ginny, and you ruined it all." Draco had put an arm around her, there being no use pretending. "Why?"

Ginny could no longer suppress any explanations. "Why? WHY? I should think you'd know!" she spat. "Because HIS DAD WANTS HARRY DEAD!! Don't you get it, don't you know! _It's betrayal!_ You traitor, you don't get it! HIS DAD WANTS HARRY DEAD!" She had run out of breath. "Hermione, listen, I'm sorry, but-"

"No!" Hermione cried. Her eyes were brighter than usual. "You're not! I just- don't understand you. I trusted you. And you- _you, Ginny Weasely, you_- betrayed me. YOU'RE the traitor, not me!" Hermione braced herself, and her voice was low and controlled, yet quivering with concealed rage. "I kept your secrets, Ginny Weasely," she said quietly. "The least you could have done was keep mine."

And she turned on her heel and disappeared down the corner, leaving a livid Ginny, a lonely Draco, and a torn Harry.

_And voila. That's it. I'd like to thank you for being so patient, and I'm sorry it took so long, I was a little busy with the other stories, cough-Better than Trelawney-cough. What is up with the people who keep reading that, I will never know. Honestly. _


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